Method of forming laps



Nov. 18, 1947. L. P. MILLER 2,431,066

METHOD OF FORMING LAPS Original Filed June 12, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 14424454: spam 166 A/[C/M/V/SM i 1N VENTOR.

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L. P. MILLER METHOD OF FO RMING LAPS Original Filed June 12, 1940 Nov. 18, 1947.

' Nov. 18, 1947. 1.. P. MILLER 2,431,065

METHOD OF FORMING LAPS Original Filed June 12, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I JIM \ I INVENTOR; LazzzwEMz'l/er M ATTOR/Vf .S

Nov. 18, 1947 Original Filed June 12, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVI'ENTOR. BY ZmazkPMzZ/er M,M 4BA Patented Nov. 18, 1947 METHOD OF FORMING LAPS Lous P. Miller, Walden. N. Y., assignor to Miller- Jonas Holding Co., Inc., Walden, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application June 12, 1940, Serial No. 340,048, now Patent No. 2280,250, dated April Divided and this application June 18, 1941, Serial No. 398,534

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates broad y to textiles and more especially to a method of forming laps from fur or from textile material which may be easily dispersed in air,

The method comprising the present invention may be carried out by various types of mechanisms but preferably is carried out by the use of the mechanism hereafter disclosed in detail, which mechanism is similar to machines known in the art as blowers.

The present method is concerned primarily with producing a lap of substant ally uniform density, which lap may be utilized as such in the textile art, as for example, the production of sheet or roll felt or for feeding a sliver producing mechanism or other textile uses where uniformity of mass is of importance.

In carrying out the present invention, it is particularly desirable that mechanism be provided in which eddy or turbulent air currents are avoided in the zone where the air is carrying the textile fibers, as for example, a construction for carrying out the .present invention is one wherein the picker cylinder is so arranged relative to the collector screen that there are no undesirable eddy currents between the picker cylinder and the screen.

It is to be understood that the disclosure herewith of an apparatus for carrying out the present method is largely diagrammatic and that omitted features are those which are well known to persons skilled in the art and are omitted herefrom for the purpose of clarity.

Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically one form of apparatus which may be utilized in carrying out the present method by producing laps or batts of textile fibers.

Fig. 2 illustrates a slight modification of apparatus for carrying out the present method and wherein the different stages or units of construction are housed in separate compartments with which suitable air controlling mechanism is provided.

Fig. 3 illustrates another construction for carrying out the present method which is similar to that shown in Fig. 1 with the exception that the conveyor belts extend beneath the feed rolls and the picker cylinders to illustrate another apparatus adapted to carry out the present method.

Fig. 4 shows another modification of construction similar to that shown in Fig. l and wherein the baffle plates are shown as adjustable in width.

Fig. 5 is a detail. View with parts of the apparatus in section and are the preferred bafile plate construction.

Fig. 6 illustrates a section of a suction conduit mounted within a collector screen.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 'l'! of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 diagrammatically illustrates a construction whereby the collector screen shown in Figs. 6 and '7 may be raised and lowered relatively to the conveyor belt in further carrying out the present method. 7

Referring nOW to the drawings which illustrate a preferred form of apparatus for carrying out the present method, and more especially to Fig. 1, the textile fibers, which may comprise rabbit fur, are placed in the weighing feeder A, which may be a machine known in the art as Bramwell type feeder, and the material from this machine A is fed into the blower lap former B, and from the lap former the product may be lead to such machines in the art as are used in the further treatment of laps or batts.

The textile fibers from the weighing feeder A are dropped upon a conveyor belt I which transports the fibers to a pair of feed rolls 2 and 4 that are adjacent a rapidly revolving picker cylinder 5. In practice, the feed rolls 2 and 4 are of relatively small diameter, as for example, approximately one inch and may rotate at a peripheral speed of substantially seventy-five inches per minute, which speed may be varied according to the wishes of the operator. The picker cylinder preferably is about four and one-half inches in diameter and rotates at speeds between from two to six thousand revolutions per minute. The feed rolls 2 and 4 are preferably spring pressed together in order to feed the fur to the rapidly revolving picker cylinder 5.

The picker cylinder 5 is very closely set to the feed rolls so that there is a picking or pulling action on the fiber as it is removed from the rolls by the high speed picker. This high speed of the picker produces a substantial air current and this air current in accordance with the present invention is controlled in such manner that the fiber is positively carried by this air current and deposited on a screen before the direct force of the air current is dissipated and the air is permitted to form undesirable eddies. To this end, a bafiie plate 6 is preferably curved to fit closely over the upper part of the picker cylinder and to closely approach the upper feed roll 2. The terminal edge of the bailie plate 6 comprises an upward extension I which closely approaches a revolving screen drum 8. This screen drum may be made from screen material, or of perforated metal, so as to provide a supporting surface for the textile fibers and at the same time provide suitable openings or perforations through which the current of air from the picker cylinder may pass. This screen cylinder preferably is approximately twenty-one inches in diameter and rotates with a peripheral speed substantially the same as the peripheral speed of the feed rolls 2 and 4. A conveyor belt 9 is located beneath the screen drum 8 with the upper run of the conveyor belt being separated slightly from the lowermost portion of the screen drum so that when the machine is operating, the space between the upper run of the conveyor belt 9 and the screen drum will be filled with textile fiber which drops by gravity from the screen drum as the drum rotates. The longitudinal speed of the upper run of the conveyor belt is substantially the same as the peripheral speed' of the screen drum. An adjustable baflie board H] is provided adjacent the forward end of the conveyor belt 9 and is adapted to swing upon an axis substantially coincident with the upper edge of the baille board; This bafile board is connected with a suitable handle outside the housing ll so that the board may be swung in the arc l2 and positioned stationary at any point within this arc according to the Wishes of the operator. Preferably, the board normally occupies substantially the full line positions as shown in Fig. 1. When this occurs, the air current produced by the picker cylinder is substantially as indicated by the arrows M in Fig. l. The space between the picker cylinder 5, the upper portion of the baffle board ID, the screen drum 8 and the conveyor belt 9, is somewhat triangular in cross-section with a portion of the periphery of the screen drum forming the base of the triangle. Since the screen drum is revolving counter-clockwise (as shown in Fig. 1), the textile fiber builds up thickest adjacent the lower portion of the drum and is thinnest adjacent the extension 1 on the bafile plate 6. portion provides the least resistance to the passage of the air from the picker cylinder and consequently the majority of the air flow from the picker cylinder is near or adjacent to that part of the screen drum which is passing the edge of the extension I on the baflle plate 6.

The construction of the parts described is such that the textile fibers are positively carried against the screen drum by the air currents and consequently the opportunity for the fibers to collect together and bunch in the air is absent, the result being that the fibers are deposited substantially uniformly on the screen drum 8. The conveyor belt 9 leads to a second pair of feed rolls of a second stage in the machine. The second stage is a duplicate of the first stage and so on throughout the various stages of the machine. It, therefore, becomes unnecessary to specifically describe the additional stages of the apparatus, with the exception of'certain features which apply only to the last stage. It is to be understood that the machine may comprise one or more duplicate stages. The purpose of the series of stages is to secure more uniformity to the final lap which leaves the machine and where the machine is used as a blower for cleaning, each separate stage performs an additional cleaning operation-hence the number of consecutive stages.

The position of the baffle board ID in the various Stages of the machine may or may not be the Therefore, this thinnest same depending upon the wishes of the operator. Where the baffle board If! is swung to a position away from the picker cylinder 5, the throat, through which the air current produced by the picker passes, is enlarged and the velocity of the air between the baffle board and the picker is reduced, The function of this swinging of the baffle board is that where the bafile board is substantially ineffective as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, heavy material will fall away from the upward air current produced by the picker cylinder and dust and dirt wil1 also be thrown out, whereas when the bafile board is set close to the picker cylinder in the position shOWn in full lines in Fig. 1, substantially all material taken from the feed rolls 2 and 4 by the picker cylinder 5 is carried upwardly and deposited on the screen drum 8.

The last stage of the machine comprises a screen drum 15, which may be the same as the preceding screen drums 8, with the exception that it may be constructed so that the axis [6 of this drum may be raised or lowered to change the space between the drum and the outlet conveyor belt H which removes the batt or lap from the machine.

The screen drums, the conveyor belts, and the feed rolls for each unit are preferably driven through variable speed units 58 whereby each unit is under complete control of the operator. These units are operated at a relatively low speed from a common drive shaft Illa. The picker cylinders operate at a high speed and are preferably driven through variable speed units 18b that are driven from a common high speed drive shaft I80. The variable speed drives l8 and I8!) make the entire machine very flexible. This enables the operator to contro1 operating conditions throughout the several stages of the machine, This permits either slowing down or speeding up the travel of the fibrous material relative to the amount fed into the machine and in this way, the lap coming from the machine may be relatively thick or thin as the operator desires.

The outlet from the machine through which the conveyor belt I 7 extends may be substantially closed by a roller l9 above the conveyor belt I1 and another roller 28 within the conveyor belt IT. A closure plate 2| is mounted on the housing II to bear upon the roller I 9 to close the gap between this roller and the housing and thereby confine the air within the housing. The roller [9 is adjustable. vertically so that the roller just touches the top surface of the lap being conveyed from the machine by the belt l1. Preferably, the roller I 9 is also connected with the variable speed mechanism l8 so that the peripheral speed thereof is the same as the peripheral speed of the conveyor belt H.

In carrying out the present method, as has been pointed out, it is particularly desirable that there shall be no undesirable eddy currents of air between the picker cylinder and the collector screens 8 and I5. The high speed of the picker cylinders establishes a blast of air and in order for the screens to function properly, it is helpful to provide an air duct 22 leading from the upper part of the housing H to the lower part of the housing. In order that the amount of circulation of air may be controlled, a damper 24 may be provided in the air duct 22.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the stages of mechanism in the lap blower are exactly the same as those shown in Fig. 1, and, therefore, the same numbers are applied to like Parts, but the description need not be repeated;

The construction disclosed in Fig. differs from that shown in Fig. l in that each stage or unit of the machine is mounted in a separate compartment which is established by partitions extending across the housing H above the feed rolls 2 and partitions 26 extending across the housing below the feed rolls 4. Closure plates 21 and 28- are mounted on the partitions 25 and 26 respectively in order to close the air space adjacent the feed rollers so that each compartment is substantially a separate unit ('see Fig. 45.

Another feature wherein the machine illustrated in Fig. 2 diiiers from that illustrated in Fig. 1 is the provision of forced air draft under control of the operator. This is accomplished by means of a power driven air fan 29 which may be of any well known type suitable for the purpose. Preferably, the suction side of theair fan 29' is connected with a duct that leads to the upper portion of the housing It and the outlet side of the fan connects with a duct 3| leading to the lower portion of the housing II. The intake duct 39 is provided with outlets 32 and 34 which may lead to open air and which are provided with dampers 35 and 35. An intermediate damp-er 31 is provided between the dampers 35 and 36; The outlet or pressure duct 3! is also provided with two ducts 3B and 39 which open to air,

each equipped with dampers 4i! and 4| and with an intermediate damper 42 between the ducts 38 and 39. The terminal ends of the ducts 35 and 3| also lead to open air and may be provided with dampers 45 and 45. It is to be understood that where desirable any or all of these open air ducts may be led to dust collectors or to filters or any other devices that may be desirable for supplying fresh air or disposing of dusty air relative to the machine. The suction duct 39 is connected by passageways 46 with each unit or stage of the machine and dampers M are provided in each of the passageways 46. Main dampers 48' are provided in the exhaust duct .30: between each stage of the machine. Similarly the pressure duct 3i is provided with outlets 49 into each stage of the machine and each of these outlets is provided with a control damper 59 whereas the main dampers5l are provided in the pressure duct 3-! between the outlets 49 to the several stages of the machine.

A damper 52' is provided in the cross duct 54 which connects the exhaust 35 with the pressure duct 31 Where pressure or suction is used inside the housing relative to the atmosphere surrounding the machine, it is desirable to maintain this condition without disturbance from the outside air flowing intoor out of the housing and to this end a closure plate 55 extends from the front wall of the housin to substantially in contact with the feed roll 4.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that by manipulating the various dampers in the several ducts provided, various conditions of pressure or reduced pressure may be obtained. For example, by opening the damper 4|, closing the damper 42, both in the pressure duct and by closing dampers 35 and 35, and opening damper 31 in the suction duct and closing dampers 45 and 52, while leaving the dampers 4'1 and 48, 4D, and 5! open, each stage of the apparatus will be subjected to suction whereby air is withdrawn from the upper portion of each compartment or unit and is admitted through the ducts 49 into 6. the lower portion of each stage. This has a. tendency to increase the velocity and volume of air from the picker cylinders to and through the collector screens. The various dampers may be manipulated to control. the air currents in each. unit of the machine as the operator may desire so that a very flexible adjustment as to air conditions in the machine may be obtained.

It will also be observed that by the manipulationof the various dampers illustrated in Fig. 2, the forward units of the machine, may be operated under natural draft such as is produced by the rotation of the picker cylinders alone While the last unit, for example, may be operated under pressures, either negative or positive, produced by the blower fan 29.

Fig. 4 illustrates a single stage, for example, the initial stage or unit, of a closed unit machine such as illustrated in Fig. 2, wherein the air cur-' rents are produced by natural draft due to the operation of the picker cylinder 5, which natural draft passes through a duct 56 that may be controlled by a damper 51. It is to be understood that similar ducts extend from the sides of the tops of the housing to the sides of the lower portions thereof for each unit of a multiple unit machine such as is illustrated in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 4, the baifie board 58 which corresponds to the bafiie board l0 illustrated in the other figures of the drawings, is preferably constructed in telescoping sections 58 and 59 and may be formed of sheet metal or other suitable material. These sections 58 and 59 are slidable one over the other and the section 59 may slide in channels 50 carried by the section 58. Suitable clamp screws 6! are mounted on the channels BD'so that the section 59' may be clamped in any desired telescoping relation to the plate 58. The purpose of this construction is to enable the bafile board 58 to be narrowed or widened in any position beneath the picker cylinder 5. When the balile board 58 is narrowed and brought into a close proximity to the picker cylinder, heavy material of the Iib-rous mass will tend to drop from the picker cylinder and will pass beneath the edge of the narrowed bafll'e board 58 and thereby drop to the bottom of the unit.

The constructions illustrated in Figs. 6, '7, and 8 comprise a suction conduit mounted within the collector screen thus making direct suction effective to collect fibers on the screen in the zone where fibers normally collect under natural draft.

The screen 62 is mounted to rotate on bearings 54 and 55 on a stationary supporting rod 66 that is suitably supported in the machine frame. The bearing 64 may be provided with a suitable drive wheel 61' through which the screen cylinder 62 may be rotated. A suction conduit 58 may be mounted on the stationary rod 66 by collars 59 and 10' through which extend clamp stub bolts H and 12' so that the mouth 14 of the conduit 58 may be correctly adjusted relatively to the b aille 6, over the picker cylinder 5, and the conveyor belt 9. The outlet end 15 of the conduit 58 is a cylindrical member 16 which extends over a short pipe section 11 that is mounted to revolve with the screen 62. This pipe section may have a flange 18 that extends into a two piece hood 19 that in turn is telescopable in a suction pipe which leads to a suitable source of suction, not shown. This suction conduit 68 within the revolving cylindrical screen 62 produces an air flow through the portion of the screen subtending the open mouth 14 of the conduit 68 that is greatly in excess of the air flow produced by the picker cylinder 5, and thus a very substantial amount of fibers may be collected on the screen over the area of the mouth 14 of the conduit 88. As soon as the surface of the screen passes beyond the mouth 14, the fibers drop by gravity from the screen to the conveyor belt 9.

It is desirable that the distance between the collector screen and the conveyor belt may be varied to suit the wishes of the operator and to this end, Fig. 8 illustrates diagrammatically a form of mechanism by which this may be accomplished. The stationary supporting rod 66 may be mounted in suitably guided hangers 8| and 82 which are supported by screw shafts 84 and 85. These screw shafts carry bevel gears 86 and 81 that mesh with operating bevel gears 88 and 89 on the shaft 90 which may be operated by the hand wheel 9|. When the hand wheel 9! is rotated the connected parts raise or lower the screen 82 relatively to the conveyor belt 9, dependent upon the direction that the hand wheel is rotated.

In carrying out the methods herein specified, the amount of material discarded may be controlled by controlling the amount of stock deposited on the drums 8 and also by controlling the volume of air which passes through the drums 8. As the stock is applied to these drums, the available clear spaces on the screens decrease, and as the clear spaces on the screens decrease, the volume of air passing through the screens is to a certain extent blocked and therefore the volume and the velocity of the air passing through the screens decrease. This condition may be brought about by various controls provided in the mechanism disclosed for carrying out the methods herein specified. For example, the linear surface speed of the screens may be decreased by the variable speed gear, while maintaining the feed of material constant; or the feed of material may be increased while maintaining the linear speed of the screens constant; or the baflie boards may be adjusted to restrict the air flow; or the various dampers may be adjusted to increase or decrease the air flow through the screens.

In making laps for felting, it is preferred that the fur used shall be carroted, in a manner well known in the art, which facilitates felting of the fur.

Since the thickness of the continuous blanket of fur issuing from the apparatus specified may be provided in the manner above indicated, this blanket or lap becomes a solid continuous layer of fur fibers without grain, i. e., a solid continuous layer wherein the individual component fur fibers are heterogeneously oriented with respect to each other as distinguished from parallelly oriented. This is particularly noticeable where the herein disclosed method is employed in making wool laps or batts. Heretofore in making such wool laps, the material was usually laid in folds of relatively short lengths. The present lap contains no folds and may be built up to a, substantially desired thickness as a single non-grain structure which,

ness and density.

Various drives for the several driven parts are omitted from the mechanism herewith illustrated in order to facilitate clarity and because proper drives for the several parts will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The present invention comprises a division of my application Serial No. 340,048, filed June 12, 94 now Patent No. 2,280,250, April 21, 1942, in which is claimed the mechanism herewith disclosed.

What I claim is:

The method of forming a lap of substantially uniform density from a selected portion of materials, said method comprising continuously feeding a uniform amount of said materials, separating the materials and forming a lap from a selected portion thereof and discarding the remainder of the materialsfloating the selected material from which the lap is made in an. air current and controlling the amount of material discarded by controlling the velocity of the air current, depositing the material carried by the air current as a layer of uniform thickness on a movable foraminous member and controlling the thickness of the lap by controlling the speed of travel of the foraminous'member relative to the amount of material fed.

LOUIS P. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 134 Miller Apr. 24, 1849 16,117 Henry Nov, 25, 1856 299,297 Van Winkle May 27, 1884 371,913 Archer Oct. 25,, 1887 374,899 Kitson Dec. 13, 1887 418,111 Crooker Dec. 24, 1889 1,554,122 Noack Feb. 15, 1925 1,593,747 Bruckner July 2'7, 1926 2,062,626 Williams Dec. 1, 1936 2,071,438 Shorter et al Feb. 23, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,137 Great Britain ,1915 

